In Disney’s new animated adventure, “Tangled,” the heroine Rapunzel passes her days locked away in a lonely tower.
But Rapunzel’s life takes a surprising turn when a charming, devastatingly handsome and slightly conceited thief by the name of Flynn Rider decides her tower would make a perfect hideout.
Unfortunately for Flynn, the local Captain of the Guard’s horse, Maximus, is determined to track down this wanted criminal and bring him to justice.
Horses have played a key role in armies and police forces around the world for hundreds of years, but Maximus is clearly one of a kind.
Fearless in the face of danger, relentless in pursuit, and possessed of a nose befitting a bloodhound, this equine super-sleuth won’t let anything stop him getting his man.
Frankly, Flynn Rider doesn’t seem to stand a chance.
But what’s life like for a cop who won’t ever give up? And what about the real horse behind the crime-fighting hero?
We recently got up close and personal with Maximus and asked him to share his essential tips for being a top detective and to tell us how he plans to finally bring that pesky Flynn Rider to book.
TIP 1: GET INSIDE THE CRIMINAL MIND
To catch a criminal, Maximus says, you have to think like a criminal. On some of his trickier cases Maximus admits to having called in a professional profiler to help him understand the devious workings of the criminal mind.
But Flynn Rider? “What’s to profile?” Maximus says with a derisive snort. “He’s his own biggest fan and thinks he can get out of any situation by relying on good looks, wit, and charm. But not this time, he can’t.”
TIP 2: REMEMBER, IT’S NOT PERSONAL
Maximus insists he never used to snort and paw the ground like this until he was assigned to the Flynn Rider case, but these days the former equine super-cop is finding it hard to follow his own advice and keep his personal feelings out of his job.
“The successful detective, Maximus says, never lets his own emotions interfere with his thorough and methodical investigation of a case.
The key is to stay detached and professional and remember it’s not personal.” Unfortunately Flynn Rider recently called Maximus a fleabag. “That’s when it got personal,” Maximus admits.
TIP 3: IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT
Footwork or forensics? The modern police horse will often rely on the latest scientific breakthroughs, whether in the fields of genetics or tissue analysis, to help him crack a case, but Maximus is strictly old school.
“DNA? SchmeeNA!” he says, “I can smell that low-down, good-for-nothing Flynn Rider a mile off.”
TIP 4: STAY VIGILANT
Like any other horse detective, Maximus eats about 2% of his body weight a day and drinks about 45 litres of water.
But even when his hypersensitive nose is deep in his nosebag, Maximus is still on the job. “I can smell Flynn Rider’s fear,” he says.
“Unless that’s clover. I get them confused sometimes. Either way, I’m on this case 24/7 and one on these days Flynn’s gonna fall over his own big ego and I’ll be there waiting with the handcuffs. Then we’ll see who’s the fleabag, right?”
TIP 5: CHECK THE RÉSUMÉ, WISE GUY!
In his time as a police horse, Maximus has meet other guard and police horses that have covered other interesting areas: search and rescue; crowd control at sports events; undercover work at the palace and the forest; a stint with border control in the U.S.; and an exchange programme with the Canadian Mounties, the best-known mounted police unit in the world.
Like the Mounties, Maximus “always gets his man,” and he’s not about to let Flynn Rider tarnish his distinguished record. “Which part of “always” doesn’t he understand?” Maximus asks. Flynn can run, but he can’t hide. Not even in Rapunzel’s tower.
TIP 6: WHAT DOES RAPUNZEL SEE IN HIM ANYWAY?
“Okay, so I know this one isn’t exactly a tip,” Maximus says, “but you gotta wonder? Or is more like a hostage situation with him and Rapunzel?
One or the other, I’m on it. And, let me tell you, he doesn’t stand a chance. Good looking. Charming. Whatever. He’s a lowdown thief and this time it’s personal.”
To learn out more about Maximus and his great detective work as a horse guard and meet all the other fun characters, check out Tangled in UK cinemas on 28 January 2011 in Disney digital 3D
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